View Poll Results: Is there a market for consulting and website transfer services?

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  • Yes

    8 66.67%
  • No

    4 33.33%
Results 1 to 18 of 18
  1. #1

    Opinions of this idea please.

    There seems to be an awful lot of people in forums such as this that ask "what is the best host?", "receommend me hosting", or "help find me a host".

    I am considering a new website venture that will provide a FREE service to users such as this that will:

    1) Examine their hosting needs.
    2) Recommend a hosting provider based on their requirements.
    3) Move their site to the new hosting provider.
    4) Take care of domain transfers and/or name server modifications.

    The service would be completely 3rd party unbiased opinions of web hosting companies based on my experience of being a former hosting company myself and knowing the industry quite well.

    Do you think a service such as this has a place in this market?
    I know it is against the rules to advertise your hosting service on these boards, would it be breaking the rules to direct these kind of users to my site to use the service?

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    1) Examine their hosting needs.
    2) Recommend a hosting provider based on their requirements.
    Already done by many host quote websites.

    3) Move their site to the new hosting provider.
    4) Take care of domain transfers and/or name server modifications.
    Most web hosts will do this for their clients.

  3. #3
    Host quote sites don't recommend a provider based on who is the most reliable or best suited provider. They recommend based on which hosts pays them.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    I know it is against the rules to advertise your hosting service on these boards, would it be breaking the rules to direct these kind of users to my site to use the service?
    The rules say:
    Participants may not publish or discuss any information regarding their product or services, or future (possible) products or services, or any product or services they are, or have been, associated with. This includes, but not limited to suggesting your own services, or services of partners, clients, employers or friends. The Advertising Forums are for advertising.
    So it's not only hosting companies that must obey this rule. All companies/websites must obey it.

  5. #5
    There are a few sites doing similiar things, without the transferring option. You will need a good marketing strategy to get a foothold, otherwise you will probably get lost in the shuffle.

    Good luck.
    FrogJumper.com, Superb Cpanel Web Hosting.
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  6. #6
    Join Date
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    I saw a site recently, that offered to research cars for you, and get you hooked up with the right one. They charged something like $200 which I thought was rather expensive (although it is thousands of dollars for a car). They were interested in selling the site, so I contacted them. They told me that they just do all of their research on Yahoo Autos. It seems too easy; like anybody could do it. Yet at the same time nobody seems to have the brains to do it. So I guess in that respect yes; but since hosting is cheap, the amount of money you can make per person is minimal. I'd actually think that most people asking you would be looking for a budget host, and couldn't spare any money. It is a good idea, but I do not think that enough people would actually pay money for it.
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  7. #7
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    I think its a good idea. True, there are a lot of similiar sites already, which all seem to cater to those that pay them... but it you can develop a unique "unbiased" view and build the PageRank and traffic... it could work out to make a few bucks from paid advertising.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by robojay10
    1) Examine their hosting needs.
    2) Recommend a hosting provider based on their requirements.
    3) Move their site to the new hosting provider.
    4) Take care of domain transfers and/or name server modifications.


    Do you think a service such as this has a place in this market?
    I know it is against the rules to advertise your hosting service on these boards, would it be breaking the rules to direct these kind of users to my site to use the service?

    Thanks.
    Couple of years back when I was installing networks for small business I was asked this question a lot.

    There is a market for it, but you have to get into the business world and not "regular" consumers. You might get some consumers, but I would not market to them. Far as this site goes, maybe you could speak to the advertising department and see if you could get some banner placement, but you would have to pay. Inevitably, some newbie would post asking about your service and many of the hosting companies here would most likely discount it, unless you referred people to them. It would go along the lines of “webhost review” sites I would imagine.

    I would guess the target market would be small companies willing to pay x amount, but those that do not have the budget for an IT department. There is another world out there, outside of this site, so the business model could work, if you have the time, money and patients for such a venture. Seems this idea would be part of an existing business, maybe an IT consulting firm with a variety of services/products.
    Windows 10 to Linux and Mac OSX: I'm PARSECs better than you. Eat my dust!!!

  9. #9
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    I can imagine it working if it is free; but anybody who would be willing to pay money for that type of service would already have IT, or would have already have made up their mind, or they really don't care what host they get (I see this with many small businesses, where they think a website doesn't matter so they either don't get one, or they get the first one they see on google).
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  10. #10
    The key is that it is a free service. I am not after the commercial market as an IT consultant, byt rather personal users that really have no idea what they need or who to get it from.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
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    There i many sites ike that. I think one of them is findmyhost.com or something. Really good
    Rene K.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by robojay10
    3) Move their site to the new hosting provider.
    4) Take care of domain transfers and/or name server modifications.

    I'm on the other side of the fence with the above 2 services.

    Let's say that I get you to transfer my site over and in the process, you either lose data or my site stops working. Or, let's say that my domain gets hijacked after you transfer it, are you going to have the necessary insurance to cover the potential lawsuits that could come your way?

    Some hosts transfer the site over for the client, but those hosts know their own system and normally would know how to correct any errors that arose during the transfer process. On the other hand, you do not know the systems you are dealing with and cannot predict the same problems or work around them in the same way.

    You are opening yourself up to a whole world of legal liability by doing this, no matter what type of disclaimers you put on your site.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by robojay10
    The key is that it is a free service. I am not after the commercial market as an IT consultant, byt rather personal users that really have no idea what they need or who to get it from.
    In that case:

    1 and 2 can be handled at this great site at: http://www.webhostingtalk.com

    3 and 4 will be handled by the host they pick.

    You have to be paid someplace... nothing is free. With the many people I deal with on a daily basis, they tend to be too needy if you offer something free. That can be draining, unless you are already rich and can afford the time to help them by yourself or setup a staff and pay them.

    Sounds like to me you want to build a free forum type place, similar to WHT.....

    Windows 10 to Linux and Mac OSX: I'm PARSECs better than you. Eat my dust!!!

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by robojay10
    Host quote sites don't recommend a provider based on who is the most reliable or best suited provider. They recommend based on which hosts pays them.
    There is http://www.findmyhosting.com , http://www.hostsearch.com/ , http://www.webhostdir.com/

    I agree that most directories/reviews websites list only those web hosts to the top who have paid them, but some do exist that provide what you have mentioned in 1 and 2.

  15. #15
    If you produce a completely unbiased site for reviews and searching you may have something on your hands.

    I would consider not charging people for this service, atleast initially, and figure out how much you could potentially make through advertising.
    FrogJumper.com, Superb Cpanel Web Hosting.
    Excellent, High Paying Affiliate Program.

  16. #16
    Join Date
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    The service would be completely 3rd party unbiased opinions of web hosting companies based on my experience of being a former hosting company myself and knowing the industry quite well.
    Almost every webhosting ranking directory claims that. You trust them? I don't. What makes you think that I'll trust you?

    3) Move their site to the new hosting provider.
    4) Take care of domain transfers and/or name server modifications.
    Most hosts does that free of charge. And you need a server admin to do it (easily at least )

  17. #17
    This would not be a rating site, not a review site, not a directory. All of the sites such as hotquote, hostvoice, and even findmyhosting don't actual care how good the host advertise for are, they care how much money they pay them. This venture would not be a directory or a website helping the user, it would be communication based assitance.

    It would be free to the user, however the revenue would come from the hosting company I refer the user to.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by robojay10
    It would be free to the user, however the revenue would come from the hosting company I refer the user to.
    http://www.promove.com/ but for hosting.... I used them when I moved to ATL... fairly good place. Only issue was they sent me to all the places that actually paid them... so those good/great places that did not offer to join them, I did not see. (I was able to get a very nice place through them though.)
    Windows 10 to Linux and Mac OSX: I'm PARSECs better than you. Eat my dust!!!

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